Tag: Mark Hendrick

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to implement the actions identified for it in the Government’s Ending Violence against Women and Girls Strategy 2016-2020, published in March 2016; and when a member of staff from his Department last attended a Violence against Women and Girls Stakeholder Meeting chaired by the Home Office.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    DCLG is working with partners, including the Local Government Association, local authorities and women’s sector organisations to implement its commitments in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy. These are to launch a two-year fund for specialist accommodation-based support and services, and to help local areas meet the National Statement of Expectations which will set out for the first time what we expect from local areas in commissioning violence against women and girls services. DCLG is also committed to launching a new programme to support domestic abuse victims with complex needs.

    The last Violence Against Women and Girls Stakeholder Meeting took place on 11 July 2016. DCLG officials did not attend as that meeting was between Home Office and third sector stakeholders. However, DCLG officials will be attending forthcoming meetings on this topic.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HM Revenue and Customs Corporate Communications did not provide adequate notice to hon. Members of the drop-in session on constituent queries regarding Concentrix on 15 September 2016 between the time of 9.30 and 11.00am.

    Jane Ellison

    The drop-in was organised and announced in the House during the Urgent Question debate, to allow Members to raise urgent constituent issues before Recess. Details of the drop-in were sent out by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as soon as final arrangements had been confirmed. The drop-in aimed to supplement existing channels that HMRC has to help MPs resolve constituency issues, such as the MP-dedicated tax credits helpline. The hours of this helpline have also been extended to provide additional support.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is the Government’s policy to increase the membership of the House of Lords by over 100 members during the course of this Parliament.

    John Penrose

    The Government does not have a policy of the kind described in this question. Our policy on the House of Lords is described in the Conservative Party election manifesto 2015.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full time equivalent staff were employed at the tax credit office in Preston in each year from 2010 to 2015; and what estimate he has made of the size of the workforce at that office in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

    Mr David Gauke

    The following table outlines the number of full time equivalent staff employed at the tax credit office in Preston at the start of each financial year.

    Financial year

    Number of full time equivalent staff

    April 2010

    2010

    April 2011

    1957

    April 2012

    1998

    April 2013

    2033

    April 2014

    1870

    April 2015

    1787

    The projected full time equivalent staffing levels in 2016, 2017 and 2018 are 2,050, 1,941 and 1,834 respectively.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on maintaining former Magistrates’ Courts in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015 to date.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Anglican churches within the Diocese of Blackburn were damaged by flooding in December 2015; and what the extent of damage to each such church was.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    Within the Diocese of Blackburn seven churches and churchyards, the diocesan retreat house at Whalley Abbey and three Church of England primary schools were damaged by floodwater. Many have also found that the boilers and heating systems have been damaged beyond repair and extensive programmes of works will need to be undertaken to both dry the buildings out and restore or replace furniture, carpets and school materials.

    Reports of damage are still being registered across the Dioceses of Blackburn, Carlisle, Manchester, West Yorkshire and the Dales and York. To date 129 church properties have registered substantial damage from the December storms with our insurers, though I expect that figure to rise. The Cathedral and Church Buildings Council of the Church of England will be working with the dioceses to develop robust disaster management and recovery plans and flood adaptation measures for churches and other buildings.

    Within the Blackburn Diocese

    Parish Name / building

    Grade or * listing / Status

    Type of damage

    St Michael’s on Wyre

    Grade 1

    Water damage and damage to the boiler

    St Michael’s, Much Hoole

    Grade 2*

    Water damage and damage to the boiler

    St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston

    Grade 2*

    Water damage

    St Michael & All Angels, Croston

    Grade 2*

    Severe water damage

    St John the Evangelist, Lancaster (Incare of Churches Conservation Trust)

    Grade 2*

    Severe water damage

    St John the Baptist, Tunstall

    Grade 1

    Damage to the boiler

    St Wilfrid’s, Ribchester

    Grade 1

    Damage to the graveyard and loss of many burials and monuments

    Whalley Abbey

    Grade 1 and Scheduled Ancient Monument

    Major water damage to the Abbey building

    Kirkland & Catterall St. Helen’s CofE School

    Primary School

    Severe water damage

    St. Michael’s on Wyre C of E School

    Primary School

    Major water damage

    Whalley CofE School

    Primary School

    Basement flooded and water damage

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential merits of enabling or compelling local authorities to use housing and council tax benefit data to (a) identify children who are eligible for free school meals and the pupil premium and (b) enable parents and guardians of those children to claim free school meals for their children.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We want to ensure that as many children as possible who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) receive them. We have made it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to check eligibility. We are aware that a number of local authorities have been successful in using housing benefit and council tax support claim data to identify children who may be eligible for, but are not currently claiming, FSM.

    We are looking in more detail at the approaches that schools and local authorities have taken so far and we will set out the Government’s position on this issue shortly.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what length of time Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had to wait for Disclosure and Debarring Service checks for (a) doctors and (b) nurses offered posts for accident and emergency in each month in 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    These are operational matters for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and we have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s question. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement the actions identified for it in the Government’s Ending Violence against Women and Girls Strategy 2016-2020, published in March 2016; and when a member of staff from her Department last attended a Violence against Women and Girls Stakeholder Meeting chaired by the Home Office.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government is committed to delivering the Strategy published in March. The table below shows the progress made in delivering the actions allocated to the Department for Education (DfE) or the Government Equalities Office (GEO).

    REF

    DfE/ GEO

    ACTION

    PROGRESS

    1

    GEO

    Develop new guidance in consultation with teachers for PHSE lessons specifically about gender equality (Apr 2016).

    GEO has been working with the PSHE Association to consult teachers on how best to deliver this commitment.

    2

    GEO

    Fund the Freedom Charity to expand the ‘Train the Trainers’ project…. (Apr 2016).

    GEO funded the Freedom Charity to expand their ‘Train the Trainers’ project to reach a greater number of communities and empower teachers to deal with the topic of forced marriage sensitively and confidently. This funding enabled an additional 3,620 students and 1,230 staff to learn about forced marriage with Freedom.

    3

    DfE

    Publish a consultation report on updated statutory safeguarding guidance for schools, Keeping Children Safe in Education, to come into force in September 2016 (May 2016).

    DfE published the Government response to the consultation in May, and published a draft of the revised guidance for information at that time. The guidance came into force on 5 September 2016.

    5

    HO/ GEO

    Launch the second phase of the national prevention campaign to challenge abuse in teenage relationships and promote understanding of health relationships and consent – including among LGB&T teenagers (Feb 2016).

    GEO, in partnership with the Home Office, launched Disrespect Nobody, the second phase of the national prevention campaign to challenge abuse in teenage relationships. This included a TV advert, along with a dedicated website, blogs and guidance for teachers.

    6

    DfE

    Launch a communications campaign to encourage the public to report all forms of child abuse to help address people’s fear of reporting (Mar – autumn 2016).

    In March 2016 DfE launched the national Together we can tackle child abuse campaign to encourage members of the public to report any concerns they may have about a child, in particular about suspected child abuse and neglect. Over 100 councils have engaged with the campaign so far, and our findings indicate that it is giving people a sense of confidence to report their suspicions. We know it takes time to change opinions and behaviours, which is why we plan to run the campaign again in 2017.

    8

    GEO

    Update Media Smart resources (with the Advertising Association) to help teachers and parents improve primary school children’s understanding of how gender is represented in the media and their resilience to negative content (Sep 2016).

    GEO commissioned the charity Media Smart to develop a new resource to help teachers and parents improve primary school children’s understanding of how gender is represented in the media and their resilience to negative content. The resource was published in August 2016 and will be disseminated to schools this term.

    10

    GEO

    Conduct or commission mapping of the evidence base and initiatives that engage men, boys and bystanders in VAWG prevention to identify how Government can build on these initiatives to further social change (Apr 2017).

    GEO is currently mapping the evidence base and initiatives that engage men, boys and bystanders in VAWG prevention, as well as meeting with stakeholders working in this area.

    18

    DfE

    Raise standards in social work and overhaul social work education and practice to improve the recruitment, retention and development of social workers under-pinned by a new regulator…. (all social workers assessed and accredited by 2020).

    DfE is continuing to develop our plans for the assessment and accreditation of child and family social workers and will consult this autumn. We expect the first social workers will begin assessment in spring 2017. The Children and Social Work Bill includes provision to establish a new regulator for social workers.

    19

    DfE

    Establish a What Works Centre, with up to £20m of funding, which will be an evidence-based resource to support social workers and work alongside the Chief Social Worker (by end 2016).

    It is expected that the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care will be established in 2017 – we are currently considering options for the model and set-up process and carried out early market engagement in June/July 2016 to inform our thinking.

    28

    GEO/ HO

    Establish an official Government working group to map out current issues, prevalence, initiatives and barriers to addressing gendered online abuse to improve understanding and coordinate the response to online manifestations of VAWG (Dec 2016).

    In partnership with the Home Office, GEO has established an official Government working group to do this. This work is ongoing.

    30

    GEO

    Continue to ensure victims of revenge pornography have access to bespoke support and advice about their right to have the images removed from websites (review Apr 2017).

    GEO has funded the Revenge Porn Helpline for a further year to continue its important work supporting victims of revenge porn and working to have such images removed from websites.

    68

    DfE

    Carry out an urgent review of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and take forward plans to centralise serious case reviews so that lessons from serious incidents can be learned more quickly and effectively (review completed by Mar 2016).

    The review was completed in March 2016 and published in May 2016. Provisions to cover the key recommendations on LSCBs and reviews are included in the Children and Social Work Bill.

    Department officials are in regular contact with their Home Office counterparts to discuss relevant policy issues, including those raised by stakeholders. Such discussions run alongside inter-ministerial meetings, the most recent of which I attended in June.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45282, where staff who work at the Valuation Office Agency in Preston are planned to be deployed after the planned closure of that office; and how many staff at what cost at that office he plans to make redundant after that closure.

    Jane Ellison

    The Valuation Office Agency will consult with staff affected by the closure of the Preston office. Options will include working from an alternative location or working from home.

    The Agency is not looking to make redundancies and is committed to take every practical step to avoid job losses as a result of location changes.

    The Agency‘s transformation programme is changing the way the Agency works, focusing on a core network of offices and greater use of technology.